The Admiralty's scout-cruiser design competition

The requirement called for at least 25 knots, a protected deck, useful range, quick-firing guns and torpedo tubes. The Admiralty ordered two ships each from Armstrong Whitworth, Fairfield, Cammell Laird and Vickers, creating four competing classes. The commercial builders submitted designs under restrictive agreements, and Pembroke Royal Dockyard then used the results to build seven more scout cruisers. This left the Navy with 15 ships and useful evidence about which firms could be trusted with later light-cruiser work.